A History of the Partnership Between TAP (US) and TAP (UK)
The UK entity and the US entity serve to strengthen one another but have distinct strategies and are independent of one another. Transparency and accountability are important to us, to ensure we meet the highest ethical standards. We have therefore provided information below about the relationship between the US entity and the UK entity.
A group of US-based athletes, coaches, policymakers, mindfulness teachers, psychologists and sport-for-change practitioners founded The True Athlete Project in December 2015. The group included Sam Parfitt, a British athlete and coach who was currently living and working in the United States. They applied for and received 501(c)(3) public charity status in the United States. Sam became the president of the board of directors. The other directors were and still are:
Tim Chakwin
Jennifer Hoff
David Elliott
Dr. Mike Johnson
Erika Mueller
Sam then returned to the U.K in September 2016 to pursue a master’s degree in Sport Policy, Management and International Development at the University of Edinburgh.
In September 2018, conversations began between The True Athlete Project and British Fencing about a possible partnership. In April 2019, the funding was achieved, and The True Athlete Project began working with British Fencing.
The project was quickly viewed as a huge success, with other governing bodies and organisations interested in forming similar partnerships. By the summer of 2019, we had the confidence to decide to set up a new entity in the U.K. A group of directors / trustees was formed:
John Tucker (Chair)
Alice Deakin (Vice Chair)
Sarah Keyes
Danny Culinane
Mel Paramasivan
Callum Whitton
Oliver Clarke
We agreed that The True Athlete Project should become a company limited by guarantee, appoint Sam Parfitt as the CEO, and apply for charitable status.
In January 2020, we became a U.K company and began trading from our UK entity. In March 2020, Sam Parfitt was appointed CEO, and he began the role on April 1st 2020. We have now built partnerships with several new organisations, and are building our programming efforts in the U.K.
Sam has now stepped down as President of The True Athlete Project in the United States and we are currently applying for charitable status in the UK.
The two entities exist to change lives through a holistic approach to sport. The entities serve to strengthen one another (for example by benefitting from shared resources like the website, branding, and curriculum materials), but they have distinct strategies and are independent of one another.
Each board meets quarterly, completely independently of one another. We have established an international committee which provides oversight of the relationship between the two entities. This committee includes two U.K. board members (John Tucker and Alice Deakin), two U.S. board members (Dr. Mike Johnson and Tim Chakwin), and Sam Parfitt. They meet every six months.
For more information, contact John Tucker: john@thetrueathleteproject.org (chair of the UK board of directors); or Tim Chakwin: tchakwin@gmail.com (secretary of the US board of directors).
A group of US-based athletes, coaches, policymakers, mindfulness teachers, psychologists and sport-for-change practitioners founded The True Athlete Project in December 2015. The group included Sam Parfitt, a British athlete and coach who was currently living and working in the United States. They applied for and received 501(c)(3) public charity status in the United States. Sam became the president of the board of directors. The other directors were and still are:
Tim Chakwin
Jennifer Hoff
David Elliott
Dr. Mike Johnson
Erika Mueller
Sam then returned to the U.K in September 2016 to pursue a master’s degree in Sport Policy, Management and International Development at the University of Edinburgh.
In September 2018, conversations began between The True Athlete Project and British Fencing about a possible partnership. In April 2019, the funding was achieved, and The True Athlete Project began working with British Fencing.
The project was quickly viewed as a huge success, with other governing bodies and organisations interested in forming similar partnerships. By the summer of 2019, we had the confidence to decide to set up a new entity in the U.K. A group of directors / trustees was formed:
John Tucker (Chair)
Alice Deakin (Vice Chair)
Sarah Keyes
Danny Culinane
Mel Paramasivan
Callum Whitton
Oliver Clarke
We agreed that The True Athlete Project should become a company limited by guarantee, appoint Sam Parfitt as the CEO, and apply for charitable status.
In January 2020, we became a U.K company and began trading from our UK entity. In March 2020, Sam Parfitt was appointed CEO, and he began the role on April 1st 2020. We have now built partnerships with several new organisations, and are building our programming efforts in the U.K.
Sam has now stepped down as President of The True Athlete Project in the United States and we are currently applying for charitable status in the UK.
The two entities exist to change lives through a holistic approach to sport. The entities serve to strengthen one another (for example by benefitting from shared resources like the website, branding, and curriculum materials), but they have distinct strategies and are independent of one another.
Each board meets quarterly, completely independently of one another. We have established an international committee which provides oversight of the relationship between the two entities. This committee includes two U.K. board members (John Tucker and Alice Deakin), two U.S. board members (Dr. Mike Johnson and Tim Chakwin), and Sam Parfitt. They meet every six months.
For more information, contact John Tucker: john@thetrueathleteproject.org (chair of the UK board of directors); or Tim Chakwin: tchakwin@gmail.com (secretary of the US board of directors).